Jay Earley’s Pattern System identifies a variety of emotional and psychological wounds that influence how individuals interact with themselves, others, and the world. Each wound affects the skillful practice of yirah (awe/reverence) by distorting how we perceive the Divine, the world, and our place within it. Below is an analysis of how each wound impacts yirah, along with strategies to address these wounds for more skillful practice.

1. Shame Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • Yirah involves humility before the grandeur of the Divine, but the shame wound distorts humility into self-loathing or inadequacy.
  • Instead of fostering reverence, shame leads to fear of rejection, unworthiness, or punishment (yirat ha’onesh).
  • Shame blocks the ability to experience yirat haromemut (awe of the sublime), as one feels unworthy of connection to the sacred.

Strategies to Address Shame:

• • Self-Compassion Practice: Regularly affirm one’s inherent worth as a creation in the image of the Divine (tzelem Elokim).
  • Reframe Humility: Meditate on the idea that humility is not self-deprecation but acknowledgment of one’s finite place within a vast, interconnected creation.
  • Relational Exercises: Practice recognizing the Divine image in others to build a sense of shared sacredness.

Shame Wound

O: I notice I avoid engaging with awe-inspiring moments because I feel unworthy of experiencing them.

F: I feel ashamed when I compare myself to others or perceive my imperfections as barriers to connecting with the Divine.

N: I need to feel acceptance and acknowledgment of my intrinsic worth.

R: I request myself to practice a 5-minute daily affirmation, repeating, “I am a reflection of Divine light,” and journal one way I lived in alignment with this worth each day.

2. Guilt Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • Guilt can overemphasize yirat ha’onesh (fear of punishment), distorting reverence into anxiety over past mistakes.
  • Excessive guilt focuses attention inward, preventing the outward flow of awe and love toward others and the Divine.
  • A person with a guilt wound may feel paralyzed, fearing that they can never fully atone.

Strategies to Address Guilt:

• • Teshuva Practices: Engage in structured repentance (reflect, repair, and recommit) to transform guilt into meaningful change.
  • Gratitude Focus: Balance guilt by reflecting on moments of grace and Divine forgiveness.
  • Outbound Yirah: Practice acts of kindness or service as an outward expression of awe and repair.

2. Guilt Wound

O: I notice I dwell on past mistakes, which makes me feel anxious about engaging with reverence practices.

F: I feel regretful and anxious because I believe my past actions have distanced me from awe and connection.

N: I need forgiveness and opportunities to make meaningful amends.

R: I request myself to practice teshuva by identifying one small action to repair harm weekly and reflect on how it reconnects me to awe.

3. Fear Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • The fear wound amplifies the shadow side of yirah by heightening anxiety and avoidance, blocking access to awe and reverence.
  • Fear causes fight, flight, or freeze responses, making it difficult to engage with the wonder and majesty of the world.
  • Fear can manifest as distrust of others, the self, or the Divine, undermining the relational aspects of yirah.

Strategies to Address Fear:

• • Grounding Techniques: Use breathing exercises or grounding meditations to calm the nervous system.
  • Safe Awe Practices: Begin with awe-inspiring experiences in safe, familiar environments (e.g., observing nature, sacred texts).
  • Faith-Building: Reflect on narratives of Divine protection and trust (e.g., Psalms 23: “I shall fear no evil, for You are with me”).

4. Rejection Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • The rejection wound can lead to a deep fear of being excluded by the Divine or others, distorting yirah into a desperate need for validation.
  • Awe becomes transactional rather than intrinsic, as the person seeks reverence to earn acceptance.
  • This wound may prevent genuine openness to awe, as fear of rejection blocks the ability to surrender to the sublime.

Strategies to Address Rejection:

• • Divine Acceptance Focus: Meditate on the idea of unconditional Divine love and inclusion (e.g., “God is close to all who call on Him” – Psalms 145:18).
  • Community Engagement: Build connections with supportive, inclusive communities to practice relational yirah.
  • Namaste Practices: Use gestures like bowing or Anjali Mudra to honor the Divine presence in others, reinforcing connection.

5. Abandonment Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • The abandonment wound creates a sense of isolation that inhibits the relational aspect of yirah.
  • Instead of experiencing awe as connection to something greater, the person feels left out of the sacred.
  • This wound can lead to a focus on self-sufficiency, rejecting vulnerability necessary for awe.

Strategies to Address Abandonment:

• • Relational Practices: Meditate on Divine closeness and connection to all creation.
  • Guided Imagery: Visualize being embraced by the Divine or by a loving presence.
  • Shared Awe Experiences: Participate in communal awe practices, such as group prayer, nature walks, or rituals.

6. Powerlessness Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • This wound distorts yirah into a helpless submission, blocking the empowering aspects of awe.
  • Instead of fostering humility balanced with agency, the person feels trapped, unable to act meaningfully in response to awe.

Strategies to Address Powerlessness:

• • Empowered Reflection: Meditate on the idea of being a co-creator with the Divine (Tzelem Elokim as a source of agency).
  • Small Actions: Practice small, meaningful actions that express reverence (e.g., blessing food, caring for the environment).
  • Role Models: Reflect on stories of individuals who overcame powerlessness through faith and awe
    (e.g., Moses at the Burning Bush).

7. Worthlessness Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • The worthlessness wound leads to a deep sense of insignificance, which can overshadow the empowering humility of yirah.
  • Instead of connecting to the Divine as a valued creation, the person feels irrelevant or unworthy of reverence.
  • This wound blocks the ability to see oneself as part of the grandeur of creation.

Strategies to Address Worthlessness:

• • Meditate on Divine Image: Reflect on being created in the image of God (Tzelem Elokim) and the inherent worth this brings.
  • Self-Compassion Exercises: Use affirmations or journaling to acknowledge personal strengths and contributions.
  • Acts of Reverence: Engage in small rituals that honor one’s place in creation (e.g., lighting a candle, saying a blessing).

8. Insecurity Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • Insecurity leads to constant doubt, undermining trust in the Divine, oneself, and others.
  • Awe becomes fleeting or fragile, as the person struggles to feel safe enough to open to reverence.
  • This wound may create a need for external validation rather than intrinsic connection to awe.

Strategies to Address Insecurity:

• • Build Trust Practices: Reflect on past moments where awe provided safety and stability.
  • Affirmations of Stability: Repeat phrases like “I am held by the Divine” during meditation.
  • Stabilizing Awe Practices: Focus on grounding practices, such as observing natural cycles (e.g., sunrise, seasons) that inspire trust.

9. Deprivation Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • The deprivation wound fosters a sense of lack, leading to envy or desperation rather than contentment in awe.
  • This mindset can distort yirah into a grasping need for more rather than reverence for what already exists.
  • Awe is experienced as fleeting or insufficient.

Strategies to Address Deprivation:

• • Gratitude Practices: Reflect on and list sources of awe and abundance in daily life.
  • Mindful Presence: Focus on fully experiencing moments of awe without seeking more.
  • Abundance Meditation: Visualize being surrounded by the infinite blessings of creation.

10. Mistrust Wound

Effect on Yirah:

• • The mistrust wound creates suspicion toward others, the Divine, or even oneself, blocking openness to awe.
  • This wound fosters cynicism, where awe is dismissed as naïve or manipulative.
  • Reverence becomes inaccessible due to a lack of relational trust.

Strategies to Address Mistrust:

• • Safe Awe Practices: Start with awe-inspiring experiences that feel secure, such as solitary walks in nature or quiet reflection.
  • Rebuild Trust Gradually: Reflect on trustworthy aspects of the Divine or individuals in one’s life.
  • Symbolic Trust Practices: Use physical gestures (e.g., bowing, open-handed mudras) to symbolize opening oneself to awe.

NVC-Themed S.M.A.R.T. Goals to Mitigate Each Wound

Each S.M.A.R.T. goal incorporates the full Nonviolent Communication (NVC) protocol: Observation (O), Need (N), Feeling (F), Request (R). These individual goals are designed to address the specific challenges posed by each wound while fostering yirah (awe/reverence) in a skillful and balanced way.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Spend 5 minutes daily affirming inherent worth as a creation of the Divine for 30 days, journaling one specific action that aligned with this affirmation each day.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Identify one repair action each week for three months, carry it out, and journal its impact on my sense of connection to awe.

3. Fear Wound

O: I notice I feel tense and avoid engaging with awe-inspiring situations because they trigger feelings of anxiety.

F: I feel afraid and uneasy when faced with uncertainty or overwhelming experiences.

N: I need safety and reassurance to explore awe without fear.

R: I request myself to practice grounding techniques (e.g., breathing exercises) for 5 minutes before engaging in awe-related activities.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Practice 5 minutes of grounding exercises daily for two weeks before intentionally engaging in an awe-inspiring activity, such as observing nature or meditating.

4. Rejection Wound

O: I notice I avoid group awe practices because I fear being excluded or misunderstood.

F: I feel vulnerable and anxious when I think about rejection.

N: I need connection and reassurance of belonging.

R: I request myself to join one community ritual or gathering weekly and focus on one specific action I can take to express reverence outwardly (e.g., offering a kind word or prayer).

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Participate in one community-based awe practice weekly for one month, intentionally performing one small outward expression of reverence during each session.

5. Abandonment Wound

O: I notice I hesitate to open myself to awe because I fear being left unsupported or unconnected.

F: I feel isolated and mistrustful when I reflect on past experiences of abandonment.

N: I need assurance that I am connected and supported.

R: I request myself to visualize Divine presence daily as an act of reconnection, using imagery such as a warm embrace or light surrounding me.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Engage in a 5-minute daily visualization of Divine connection for 21 days, focusing on feeling held and supported.

6. Powerlessness Wound

O: I notice I feel overwhelmed and passive when faced with awe-inspiring situations, as though my actions don’t matter.

F: I feel helpless and insignificant when I consider the vastness of the universe.

N: I need empowerment and a sense of agency within awe.

R: I request myself to take one small action weekly that reflects reverence for life, such as caring for the environment or blessing food.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Perform one small reverent action weekly for three months, reflecting afterward on how this action enhances a sense of empowerment.

7. Worthlessness Wound

O: I notice I dismiss awe experiences because I feel undeserving of being part of something greater.

F: I feel disconnected and insignificant when I think about my worth relative to the world’s grandeur.

N: I need acknowledgment of my place within the sacred whole.

R: I request myself to write one gratitude statement daily about how my existence contributes to the world’s beauty or goodness.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Write one gratitude statement daily for 30 days about how my actions, qualities, or presence contribute to the sacred whole.

8. Insecurity Wound

O: I notice I feel hesitant to trust awe-inspiring situations or my capacity to engage with them.

F: I feel doubtful and unsettled when I think about whether I’m “doing awe right.”

N: I need confidence and assurance that I can connect meaningfully to reverence.

R: I request myself to choose one awe-inspiring practice, such as observing a sunset or reading sacred texts, and engage in it twice weekly, reflecting on the experience afterward.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Engage in one chosen awe practice twice weekly for one month, journaling afterward to build confidence in connecting to reverence.

9. Deprivation Wound

O: I notice I focus on what I lack when experiencing awe, feeling it is never enough.

F: I feel envious and dissatisfied when I compare my experiences to what I think others have.

N: I need contentment and appreciation for what is already present.

R: I request myself to practice daily gratitude by writing three things that inspire awe and fulfill me in the moment.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Write three gratitude statements about awe-inspiring experiences or qualities daily for 21 days, focusing on sufficiency and contentment.

10. Mistrust Wound

O: I notice I hold back from fully engaging in awe practices because I fear being deceived or vulnerable.

F: I feel skeptical and cautious when faced with opportunities to trust awe.

N: I need reassurance and gradual rebuilding of trust in myself, others, and the Divine.

R: I request myself to identify one small awe-related activity (e.g., watching the night sky) weekly and reflect on how it feels safe and trustworthy.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal: Engage in one awe-related activity weekly for two months, journaling reflections on how it fosters trust in awe and connection.

Conclusion

These NVC-themed S.M.A.R.T. goals provide actionable steps for addressing each of Jay Earley’s Pattern System wounds while enhancing the skillful practice of yirah. By integrating observation, needs, feelings, and requests into structured goals, individuals can heal emotional barriers and cultivate awe in meaningful ways.